year-old

UK: ˈjɪərˌəʊld | US: ˈjɪrˌoʊld

Definition

  1. adj. having lived or existed for a specified number of years

  2. n. a person or thing that is a specified number of years old

Structure
year <period of 12 months>old <aged>
Etymology

The compound "year-old" combines "year," from Old English ġēar (related to time measurement), and "old," from Old English eald (aged or ancient). The hyphenated form emerged in Middle English to describe age explicitly, preserving clarity in phrases like "five-year-old child." The structure reflects a straightforward Germanic compounding pattern, where two root words merge to form a descriptive unit.

Examples

  1. She adopted a two-year-old rescue dog.

  2. The museum displayed a thousand-year-old artifact.

  3. My niece is a bright six-year-old.

  4. This recipe calls for a twelve-year-old whiskey.

  5. The five-year-old tree finally bore fruit.